Insider Tips: Use Keyframe Interpolation for Smoother Animation

Every week, Frame.io Insider asks one of our expert contributors to share a tip, tool, or technique that they use all the time and couldn’t live without. This week, Chris Salters demonstrates the use of Keyframe Interpolation for smoother animation in Premiere Pro.


Use keyframe interpolation for smoother animation in Premiere Pro

Premiere Pro is not After Effects and vice versa.  Each of these tools has its place, but often it would be nice to have AE’s keyframe flexibility inside Premiere Pro.  Here’s a quick look at how to get smoother animation right inside of Premiere.

Changing a keyframe’s interpolation in the Effect panel is as easy as right-clicking a keyframe and selecting Temporal or Spatial interpolation.

  • Temporal Interpolation applies to keyframes in the Effect panel
  • Spatial Interpolation affects the shape/position controlled by keyframes in the Program monitor

This tip will focus on Temporal Interpolation:

  • Linear – default uniform rate of change
  • Bezier – curved rate of change
  • Auto Bezier – creates a smooth rate of change through a keyframe
  • Continuous Bezier – same as Auto Bezier, but with handle for manual adjustment
  • Hold – keeps continuous rate of change
  • Ease In – gradual Bezier curve into a keyframe
  • Ease Out – gradual Bezier curve out of a keyframe

To quickly get smoother animation between keyframes, right-click and select Ease In or Ease Out.

  • Ease Out for the first keyframe in a clip
  • Ease In for the second keyframe in a clip

Twirl down the caret next to a property’s stopwatch to reveal the keyframe graph.  Adjust the bezier keyframe handles to affect the rate of change for selected keyframes.



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Chris Salters

Chris Salters is a freelance video editor who cuts commercials and brand films. Based in Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas, he spends his free time cycling, woodworking, and being a Dad. Chris is fueled by coffee and rewarded by beer.